Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
The school was not as bustling and noisy as it had been a few days ago, before the death of Bridgett. Ron had taken Harry and Hermione up to the hospital wing to visit Fred. They also just wanted to escape the sounds of sobs, and they were tired of hearing people discuss what had happened.
"Yeah, did you hear? How it just sucked her soul like soup?" "They had been breaking school rules." "I had heard that the dementor went for Fred first, but Bridgett tried to throw herself in his way." It was too all way too depressing.
"Hey guys." Fred said, slowly sitting up, and squinting his eyes up in pain. Ron rushed to his side. Hermione handed Ron a pillow, and Ron placed the pillow gently behind Fred's back.
"Thanks." Fred said, and gave a weak smile at the three friends. "I appreciate you all coming. I mean, I have been getting visits all day. But I wondered when you three would show up." Hermione smiled, and leaned over and kissed the top of Fred's head. Fred raised his eyebrow.
"What was that for?" Hermione sighed.
"For being so brave, and taking this all so well." Fred blushed slightly, looking a lot like his brother Ron, when his ears turn pink. Fred shrugged and took her hand.
"It was the worst night of my life. I am going to be having nightmares about it until I die. But, it's something that I have to deal with." Hermione nodded. Harry soon stepped up at the hospital bed's side.
"About that..do you care to go over what happened for us?" All three friends nodded.
"Yeah, what exactly happened?" Ron asked, taking a seat on the bed. Fred stared at him sadly.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it to anyone." He said quietly.
"Okay, if you"- Hermione was cut short.
"So! Who cares! Where's the brother that I know, that always takes chances?" Ron said, punching him lightly on the arm. Fred glared at him.
"That brother knows now that because of his stupidity, he got someone killed. So he is being careful from now on." Fred said, folding his scarred and bruised arms. That shut Ron up.
"So, how badly are you hurt?" Hermione asked, glancing nervously at Fred's hand, that had some stitches on it.
"Bad enough to have to stay in here for a few more weeks. Madame Pomfrey is keeping me here until I am completely better." Fred said dully, rolling his eyes. Harry gaped at him.
"That will be a loong time!"
"Tell me about it. I have a broken leg, a sprained wrist, I have stitches on my right hand, and look"- He unbuttoned the top button on his hospital gown, and pulled it down, revealing a long, red gash. It was oozing something that Hermione figured was pus. Fred winced as his hand brushed it. He buttoned his shirt back up. Ron was staring open-mouthed.
"Damn, Fred! How did you get THAT?" Fred shook his head.
"Told you, I'm not aloud to discuss it." Ron pouted. Fred sighed and picked up a glass of water from his bedside table, and took a sip.
"You guys need to go. If Madame Pomfrey catches you here... And I need my rest. But thanks again for visiting." Hermione nodded, and leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Ron cleared his throat, looking disturbingly jealous.
They left Fred to sleep, and made their way back to each of their classes. Each one of their spirits was enlightened though, seeing Fred alive and talking. He wasn't dead like Bridgett was. It was nice to actually see Fred breathing and talking like it was nothing, like nothing had happened.
Only the scars on his face and arms would remain, and remind every body of the tragedy. They were scars that would never go away.
*
"Harry, I don't know about the ball. I was kind of planning on not going." Natalie told Harry calmly that afternoon. Harry gaped at her, his expression frozen in disbelief.
"What?" He croaked. He grabbed her hand, and held it to his chest. "Come on, Nat. You HAVE to go! You don't know what you are missing!" But Natalie shook her blonde head.
"No, Harry. Actually, I have something to confess." Harry stared at her, and dropped her hand suddenly. Natalie looked on the verge of tears. "Harry..please. Let me explain." But Harry stood up from the couch.
"No, I know what you are going to say. That this was all a mistake, right? That you never meant for any of that to happen that night. Here, on this very, fucking couch." He tossed a cushion angrily to the floor. Natalie burst out crying.
"Harry! Please don't get mad! You are an awesome guy! You were a wonderful, loving boy friend. But, every thing is so crazy around here. I just need time to think. Things are happening. And the world just keeps on spinning, like every thing is fine! But it isn't!" Harry glared at her.
Natalie covered her face with her hands and sobbed. This time, Harry was not going to try and comfort her. He turned and left the common room without even a good bye.
*
The school was not as bustling and noisy as it had been a few days ago, before the death of Bridgett. Ron had taken Harry and Hermione up to the hospital wing to visit Fred. They also just wanted to escape the sounds of sobs, and they were tired of hearing people discuss what had happened.
"Yeah, did you hear? How it just sucked her soul like soup?" "They had been breaking school rules." "I had heard that the dementor went for Fred first, but Bridgett tried to throw herself in his way." It was too all way too depressing.
"Hey guys." Fred said, slowly sitting up, and squinting his eyes up in pain. Ron rushed to his side. Hermione handed Ron a pillow, and Ron placed the pillow gently behind Fred's back.
"Thanks." Fred said, and gave a weak smile at the three friends. "I appreciate you all coming. I mean, I have been getting visits all day. But I wondered when you three would show up." Hermione smiled, and leaned over and kissed the top of Fred's head. Fred raised his eyebrow.
"What was that for?" Hermione sighed.
"For being so brave, and taking this all so well." Fred blushed slightly, looking a lot like his brother Ron, when his ears turn pink. Fred shrugged and took her hand.
"It was the worst night of my life. I am going to be having nightmares about it until I die. But, it's something that I have to deal with." Hermione nodded. Harry soon stepped up at the hospital bed's side.
"About that..do you care to go over what happened for us?" All three friends nodded.
"Yeah, what exactly happened?" Ron asked, taking a seat on the bed. Fred stared at him sadly.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it to anyone." He said quietly.
"Okay, if you"- Hermione was cut short.
"So! Who cares! Where's the brother that I know, that always takes chances?" Ron said, punching him lightly on the arm. Fred glared at him.
"That brother knows now that because of his stupidity, he got someone killed. So he is being careful from now on." Fred said, folding his scarred and bruised arms. That shut Ron up.
"So, how badly are you hurt?" Hermione asked, glancing nervously at Fred's hand, that had some stitches on it.
"Bad enough to have to stay in here for a few more weeks. Madame Pomfrey is keeping me here until I am completely better." Fred said dully, rolling his eyes. Harry gaped at him.
"That will be a loong time!"
"Tell me about it. I have a broken leg, a sprained wrist, I have stitches on my right hand, and look"- He unbuttoned the top button on his hospital gown, and pulled it down, revealing a long, red gash. It was oozing something that Hermione figured was pus. Fred winced as his hand brushed it. He buttoned his shirt back up. Ron was staring open-mouthed.
"Damn, Fred! How did you get THAT?" Fred shook his head.
"Told you, I'm not aloud to discuss it." Ron pouted. Fred sighed and picked up a glass of water from his bedside table, and took a sip.
"You guys need to go. If Madame Pomfrey catches you here... And I need my rest. But thanks again for visiting." Hermione nodded, and leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Ron cleared his throat, looking disturbingly jealous.
They left Fred to sleep, and made their way back to each of their classes. Each one of their spirits was enlightened though, seeing Fred alive and talking. He wasn't dead like Bridgett was. It was nice to actually see Fred breathing and talking like it was nothing, like nothing had happened.
Only the scars on his face and arms would remain, and remind every body of the tragedy. They were scars that would never go away.
*
"Harry, I don't know about the ball. I was kind of planning on not going." Natalie told Harry calmly that afternoon. Harry gaped at her, his expression frozen in disbelief.
"What?" He croaked. He grabbed her hand, and held it to his chest. "Come on, Nat. You HAVE to go! You don't know what you are missing!" But Natalie shook her blonde head.
"No, Harry. Actually, I have something to confess." Harry stared at her, and dropped her hand suddenly. Natalie looked on the verge of tears. "Harry..please. Let me explain." But Harry stood up from the couch.
"No, I know what you are going to say. That this was all a mistake, right? That you never meant for any of that to happen that night. Here, on this very, fucking couch." He tossed a cushion angrily to the floor. Natalie burst out crying.
"Harry! Please don't get mad! You are an awesome guy! You were a wonderful, loving boy friend. But, every thing is so crazy around here. I just need time to think. Things are happening. And the world just keeps on spinning, like every thing is fine! But it isn't!" Harry glared at her.
Natalie covered her face with her hands and sobbed. This time, Harry was not going to try and comfort her. He turned and left the common room without even a good bye.
*